


Everything's A Weapon

by aquadamn



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics)
Genre: AU, and how that lead to bette being a smol psycho, what if slade taught bette how to fight when she was a kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-18 13:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13683057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquadamn/pseuds/aquadamn
Summary: "Remember, Bette, everything is a weapon. You just have to know how to use it."





	Everything's A Weapon

Bette never told anyone that her Uncle Slade taught her a lot more than just how to handle a gun.

Slade knew the world and he knew that a girl like Bette, with big blue eyes and bright outlook, would be ripped apart if someone didn't help her.

The day she asked him how to fight, he refused. She gave him her signature winning smile and he knew, in that very moment, that she would be getting her own way.

Soon, he found himself teaching her how to defend herself and how the world worked.

"Uncle Slade", she asked one day, "why do you wear black and orange?"

Then he taught her about intimidation, about how people played pretend. A look could be used to help define you in many ways, to make people fear you.

"Uncle Slade, why do you use a gun _and_ a sword?"

He told her that in every fight, there's an advantage waiting to be used. He taught her that everything she had could be used as a weapon.

He spent hours with that little girl, trying to make sure she survived the bleak world.

The majority of people who knew Bette personally assumed she trained with Adeline for a year. Only the two of them, and perhaps Kathy Kane, were aware that Slade spent much more time with the girl.

"Uncle Slade", she said one day. It was after Joey, after he lost his eye, after Grant ran away, "I wanna design my own costume."

He blinked at the ten year old. In her hands was a dagger he gave her years ago, one she kept after all this time.

"Sure, kid."

He was pretty sure that they were the only two people on the planet who realized how deadly her Bat-Girl outfit was.

"The cape's a bit flamboyant. I like it."

His niece's blue eyes sparked as she slid a hidden knife into the secret compartment of the gloves. "I love this!"

He loved how, through it all, she remained soft, sweet and innocent. She was still a child, still a little kid. She was just ready to take on the world.

* * *

 

"How does it feel to be defenseless, little bird?"

She sent the villain an incredulous look. Defenseless, was she?

Her arms were chained to the ceiling, so she leaned forward, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Forward, are we, birdie?" He whispered.

She blushed, knowing it looked more realistic that way. Her uncle Slade's words filled her head.

_"In your line of work, you're gonna get captured. And people like that will want one of three things: fear, power or sex. You can play the little kid card now, but later it will almost always be the sex card. Seduction is just another weapon."_

Biting her lip, she leaned closer. Her hand was free, but she kept it still, playing the part perfectly as she looked into her captor's eyes. And then, in the second his lips twisted into a smirk, she had a knife to his throat.

Slade's words still echoed through her mind.

_"When it gets that far, don't aim for anything, don't think. Just do. It doesn't matter if you kill them or not-- what you need is space to move."_

In one overly smooth and practiced move, the knife was dragged across his throat. He stumbled back, choking on his own blood, and she freed her left arm from its chain.

_"Remember, Bette, everything is a weapon. You just have to know how to use it."_

**Author's Note:**

> idk what this even is


End file.
